CHAPTER 3: PUBLIC ART GROWTH STRATEGY

Overview

Contained within this chapter are a series of recommendations to grow the program along with several overarching strategies that should be used to guide various aspects of the program. These statements were developed based on feedback from stakeholders and based on guidance from the public through our surveys.

Strategy 1: Neighborhood Focus

Strengthen the Identity of Neighborhoods Through an Investment in Public Art at the Neighborhood Level.

In conversations with stakeholders and members of the public, neighborhood identity and investment at a neighborhood scale was a strong theme. For decades, there has been a perception that arts funding has been directed downtown to support the tourism sector, strengthening the draw for visitors to the beaches. Access and inclusion of neighborhoods in the cultural arts strategy is a necessary next step to build audience participation in the arts in Clearwater and the greater region.

ACTION STEPS TO IMPLEMENTATION

Action 1: Neighborhood Grant Program

Develop a public art strategy for neighborhoods that includes a neighborhood grant program to execute community-driven public art projects.

Expand the offerings of the City of Clearwater’s Placemaking Programs to all neighborhoods through a grant making program. The Cultural Arts Division in Partnership with the Neighborhoods Coordinator should administer the Clearwater Neighborhood Placemaking Grant Program. This grant program is designed to provide small, but strategic investments in public art projects throughout the City. $30,000.00 should be allocated annually and grants range from $1,500 - $5,000 with no required match.

Special Considerations include:

 • Projects that are accessible to people of all cultural backgrounds, economic status, sexual orientation, age and physical ability will receive higher priority.

 • Public Engagement for each participating neighborhood should be of utmost priority for the

City and grant recipients must demonstrate a commitment to community conversations about ideal locations for public art interventions.

The goal of the Neighborhood Placemaking Grant Program is to assist neighborhoods with the following:

 • Enhancing their quality of life through public art investments;

 • Add vibrancy;

 • Balance community and tourism; and

 • Increase awareness of the neighborhoods throughout the City.

The following non-capital projects or activities may be assisted:

 • Festivals, performances, and events that promote community interaction and engagement;

 • Projects that aid in navigating through neighborhoods such as interpretive signage, pedestrian way-finding signage, walking tours, and educational programs;  • Projects that seek to recognize historic or culturally significant sites;

 • Public art that provides traffic calming measures such as painting crosswalks and intersections;

 • Sidewalk Rain Art;

 • Little Free Libraries;

 • Murals;

 • Sidewalk Poetry; and

 • Bike Rack Sculptures.

Partnerships for neighborhood groups could include:

 • Parks and Recreation for location scouting and assistance in neighborhood parks

 • Libraries

Expand the signal box and storm drain programs into the neighborhoods. The Clearwater Neighborhoods Coordinator currently administers both the Storm Drain Program as well as the signal box program. This program should be expanded throughout the City. The following steps should be taken to accomplish the expansion of the program:

 • Determine the location of and map all storm drains and utility boxes with their approximate sizes.

 • Once an inventory has been established, the Neighborhoods Coordinator should determine a prioritization schedule of the application of public art. Depending on the number of units to be completed, a schedule of when neighborhoods should expect to receive installation should be determined. It is recommended that 3-5 neighborhoods receive an investment annually until all neighborhoods have received an investment in their storm drains and utility boxes.

Strategy 2: Public Art Funding

Expand Funding for Public Art through reinstating the Percent for Art in Private Development Ordinance.

In 2006, the City of Clearwater adopted Ordinance No. 7489-05 establishing the Public Art and Design Program as well as a funding mechanism for the Program. The funding mechanism included a Public Percent for Art Policy requiring that eligible capital improvement projects greater than $500,000 contribute 1% of the total construction budget to public art with a cap of $200,000.00. In addition, eligible private development projects were also required to allocate 1% of the Aggregate Job Value for on-site public art. Private development projects could also contribute a fee in-lieu-of if desired. In 200_, the Private Percent for Art Contribution was repealed.

Many cities in Florida maintained their private percent for art requirements and their collections grew as development in the state increased substantially. Reinstating the private percent for art requirements would enhance the collection, increase access to public art byt the community, and bolster the brand of Clearwater as a center for arts and culture.

ACTION STEPS TO IMPLEMENTATION

Action 1: Reinstate Ordinance

Reinstate the Percent for Art in Private Development ordinance requiring a dedication of 1% of the total project budget to public art. The public art requirement applies to all private development projects exceeding 6 units including new construction or the renovation or improvement of an existing building where 50% or more of a building is being modified, renovated, expanded, rebuilt or improved by construction. The public art requirement must elect one of the following assessment methods and submit a completed art requirement application and provide a copy of the total construction costs as indicated on the construction contracts within 90 days of the issuance of the first building permit or site work permit for a subdivision plat for any portion of the project.

Option A: On-site Artwork

Submit documentation evidencing the escrow of funds for an art feature valued in an amount not less than 1% of the total construction costs.

Should the developer not spend the full amount on onsite artwork, the remaining amount shall be contributed to the Public Art Fund.

Artwork must be located in an exterior place defined as any place, public or private, outdoor and exterior to buildings or structures and exposed to public view, including but not limited to buildings, parks, right of way medians and open spaces.

Option B: Contribute to the Clearwater Public Art Program Fund

Contribute an amount equal to 75%+ 0.1% of the 1% of the total construction cost for deposit to the Clearwater Public Art Fund. The additional 0.1 percent is to be used for maintenance of art provided through the public art fund.

Strategy 3: Invest in Iconic Art

Invest in Iconic Public Art in Strategic Locations to Bolster the Public Art Experience.

Public art serves many roles and their locations play a large part in determining their role in the City. Beyond beautifying the built environment, public art enhances the city for residents and visitors. Public art can celebrate and tell a city’s history, showcase artists, bring joy, and improve mental health. Most importantly, public art is a visible manifestation of a City’s commitment to the arts. An investment in large iconic public art in key locations and through strategic programming will communicate Clearwater’s commitment to artists, a high quality of life for its residents, and a multifaceted experience for its visitors.

ACTION STEPS TO IMPLEMENTATION

Action 1: Coachman Park Public Art

Develop a Coachman Park Public Art Experience through a Strategic Planning exercise to impact Coachman Park. Two strategies should be considered in this planning exercise.

Action 1A: Coachman Park Iconic Public Art

An iconic large scale public art piece by a nationally recognized artist should be placed at the entrance of Coachman Park signifying that the City cares about arts and culture from the visual arts to the performing arts. This piece will become synonymous with the brand of the park experience and should be a piece that visitors want to photograph upon arrival to the Park.

A Committee should be formed that uses nationally recognized professionals in the public art field to help the City determine who they should solicit proposals from in this iconic and transformative location. The Committee should be sized based on the level of investment.

Action 1B: Coachman Park Rotating Exhibition

Coachman Park will be an annual rotating exhibition that is best explored as a pedestrian. Leading from the Amphitheater to the waterfront will be a series of medium to large scale sculpture for visitors to enjoy at their leisure. As the experience is built, the City should engage artists to bring existing temporary work to the Park that would rotate biannually. Every other year, the City will commission a piece of sculpture to add to the Sculpture Walk and the City’s Collection. Special attention should be paid to the experience of the artwork during evening hours.

$250,000.00 should be allocated annually for the Clearwater Sculpture Walk for ten years. After the program has been implemented for ten years, the success of the Clearwater Sculpture Walk should be reexamined and evaluated for further investment.

Action 2: Trail Lines

Layer cultural experiences on all of the City of Clearwater Trails to encourage natural experiences, improved health, and exposure to the arts. Clearwater boasts 7 trails that lead to a variety of locations throughout the City. A color theme for each trail should be developed using the 7 colors of the color wheel. Along each trail, public art and cultural heritage information should be explored by color theme. For example: the green line could explore environmental stewardship, the value of nature and offer educational opportunities along the trail to understand how the tree canopy measures up to the other trails. The blue line could explore marine life topics and underscore the importance of recycling and maintaining runoff to protect the waterways. A budget should be determined for each line as well as a theme. Understanding the remaining right of way along each trail will be critical to the success of the strategy for each trail.

Action 3: Biennial Temporary Art Festival

Develop and launch a biennial temporary art festival on the beach. Festivals and events have the power to bring people together from all over the world when designed to create a major draw. A temporary art festival should be planned to tak place every other year in the fall. Special attention should be paid to developing a theme of the festival that is unlike anything in the region as well as the state. Building an audience through casting a unique vision and artistic movement is critical to the festival’s success.

Installations at the festival should be interactive, forging connections between the piece and the viewer. The festival should be immersive, causing attendees to want to stay longer than anticipated and plan to come back year after year. The festival should be ticketed to cover the cost of the festival and to support the work on the public art program.

Partnerships with the hotels along the beach and Visit St. Pete Clearwater should be explored.